Straight A’s Won’t Help If Kids Can’t Handle Life
Mental Health & Happiness Can’t Be an Afterthought
We Teach Kids Algebra, But Not How to Handle Anxiety—Why?
We ran a volunteer program for high school students a few years ago. They earned hours by completing our How Are You Feeling? course, a program designed to teach emotional intelligence and mental health awareness, but, most importantly, teach teens about learning, understanding and processing complex emotions, such as grief.
At the end of one session, a group of eight young women, ages 14 to 17, told us the program had changed their lives.
They had never realized how much emotions impacted their decisions, relationships, and well-being. And they couldn’t believe that schools never made time for something so important.
Motivated to make a difference, they asked us what they could do to help.
“Tell your school administrators,” we said. “Let them know how much this program helped you.”
So they did.
They came back completely deflated. The administrators brushed them off, telling them the school already had its “social-emotional learning” (SEL) programs in place.
Here’s the kicker: Of the more than 500 students who took our course, 94% said what they had previously learned about mental and emotional health in school was a waste of time.
Twenty-five young women from this school went through our program. 89% of the students from this school said the mental health programming was inadequate. This is what a $40,000/year private school education will get you: a mental health program with an 89% dissatisfaction rate!
When eight teenage girls tell you a mental health program changed their life, as a school, shouldn’t you be listening?
Ironically, less than a month later, there was a bomb scare at the school, initiated by a distraught student. These schools are playing Russian roulette with our kids’ future.
This isn’t an isolated problem. It’s a system-wide failure.
The Data Speaks: A Mental Health Crisis in Schools
Schools focus on grades, but what about the emotional well-being of students?
24% of Gen Z say they’ve experienced depression in the past year, up from 18% in 2023.
49% frequently think about anxiety.
43% have had a panic attack in the last 12 months.
These aren’t just numbers. These are real kids, sitting in classrooms, struggling silently while memorizing historical dates and math formulas.
Schools prepare students for tests. But what about real life?
What good is academic success if students can’t handle stress, failure, or relationships?
Where Schools Are Failing Students
Mental Health Education Is Superficial at Best, Nonexistent at Worst
Schools claim to have mental health programs, but students themselves say they don’t work.
Many programs check boxes rather than provide real, applicable skills.
If 94% of students say their mental health education was useless, isn’t it time to rethink the curriculum?
Teachers Aren’t Equipped to Handle Emotional Struggles
Most teachers aren’t trained in mental health support.
They see students disengaging, missing school, or breaking down, but lack the tools to help.
The System Prioritizes Grades Over Well-Being
The pressure to perform is relentless.
Schools reward perfection, yet real life requires resilience.
Where do students learn to handle stress, rejection, or failure?
Students Graduate Knowing Calculus but Not How to Handle Anxiety
We teach them how to find the area of a triangle but not how to navigate social anxiety or self-doubt.
Emotional intelligence isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s essential.
What Needs to Change?
Fixing this isn’t about politics. It’s about giving kids the skills they actually need to succeed.
Here’s how:
✅ Make Emotional Intelligence a Core Subject
Teach coping skills, self-awareness, and resilience just like we teach math and science.
Mental health should be a foundational part of education, not an afterthought.
✅ Listen to Students
If students say current programs aren’t working, let’s change them.
Schools should invite student feedback on what actually helps.
✅ Train Teachers in Emotional and Mental Health Support
Give educators the tools to recognize and respond to student struggles.
They don’t need to be therapists, but they do need to know how to support mental wellness in the classroom.
✅ Rethink Success
Instead of just measuring test scores, teach kids how to manage stress, handle relationships, and bounce back from setbacks.
Real success isn’t just academic. It’s emotional, social, and personal.
This Isn’t Optional. It’s Survival
Mental health isn’t a “soft skill.” It’s a life skill.
If nearly half of Gen Z is struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, then the education system is failing them.
Kids aren’t asking for more homework or tougher exams.
They’re asking for help understanding their emotions, navigating stress, and building confidence.
And when they do?
They get dismissed. Told the system already has it covered.
It doesn’t.
It’s time for real reform. Schools need to prioritize mental health as much as math and science. Because what good is straight A’s if kids don’t have the tools to handle life?
What do you think needs to change?
Note on Study Design and Methodology
This research was conducted by IMI International, utilizing three of Canada’s most extensive panels. Participants were randomly recruited and represented by age, gender, geography, income, and ethnicity. The study was completed online via smartphone, tablet, and computer. For more details on study design, please visit consultimi.com.
